Production of polystyrene beads



Sept 4, 1951 H. M. Hu'rcHlNsoN ETAL 2,566,567

PRODUCTION F' POLYSTYRENE BEADS Filed May 14, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l O www Zi@ W A Homey;-

Sept- 4, 1951 H. M. HUTCHINSON ET AL 2,556,567

PRODUCTION oF POLYSTYRENE BEADS Filed May 14, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [HHH L ,32 Z9 30 C? qY@ A Homey;-

Patented Sept. 4, 1951 PRODUCTION OF POLYSTYRENE BEADS Henry Malcolm Hutchinson, Banstead, and Johann Josef Peter Staudinger, Ewell, England, assignors to The Distillers Company, Limited, Edinburgh, Scotland, a British company Application May 14, 1946, Serial No. 669,528 In Great Britain March 20, 1946 l1 Claims.

This invention is concerned with the production of polymerisation products of styrene and the nuclear substitution products thereof, and in particular relates to the physical form in which the products are'obtained.

The usual procedure for the production of polystyrene and the like compounds in a form sultable for supply to manufacturers of articles therefrom is to polymerise the monomer in mass or bulk form, and then to grind and crush the block of polymer to a more or less coarse powder. It is also known to polymerise styrene in the form of an emulsion in an aqueous phase. The polymer prepared in the latter way is in the form of an extremely iine powder, which has to be consolidated by-melting, compressing or tabletting to bring it into a form suitable for use in the various known fabrication and manipulation techniques.

To overcome certain disadvantages of the above processes, it has been proposed to polymerise styrene in'the form of a coarse suspension in water, maintaining the styrene phase in a sub-divided form during the polymerisation by mechanical agitation. However, this so-called bead" or pearl polymerisation has in turn many disadvantages even when Working on the laboratory scale and the translation of this process from the small laboratory scale t-c production scale accentuates these difficulties considerably. For example, although the product is obtained in the form of beads, their size varies very widely with the largest beads as much as fifty times the size of the smallest and with the smaller beads predominating; furthermore, it is particularly diflicult to obtain beads of uniform size, when beads of more than 1 mm. diameter are desired. Moreover, as the desired diameter of the beadsinj creases, the control of the process, as far as the maintenance of the globule diameter is concerned, becomes more diil'lcult. This is to some extent connected with the fact that styrene and styrene derivatives pass, during the course of their polymerisation, through a tacky or sticky stage when the tendency of particles thereof to coalesce is very pronounced and a subsequent disruption or separation of coalesced particlesis diicult.

process a considerable amount of water is oceluded in the polymer beads. Furthermore, a still improved process giving improved products and of apparatus for use in such process. p The invention accordingly comprises the novel processes and steps of processes, speciilc embodiments of which are described hereinafter by lway of example and in accordance with which I no w prefer to practice the invention. l y According to the present invention there is provided a process for the production of polymers of styrene and styrene compounds in the form of substantially uniform sized discrete beads or globules which comprises introducinga viscous liquid mixture of a monomer and a;po1ymer oi' styrene and/ or a nuclear-substituted styrene'containing atleast 40% by weight ofthe polymer, -in discrete portions of substantially-uniform size into a heated inert liquid medium with'which the monomer is not miscible and-in which the polymer is not soluble and. maintaining saiddiscrcte portions in suspensionl in said heated medium at least until substantially complete; polymerisation of the monomer has occurred. j

` VThe nuclear-substituted styrenes are preferably the alkyl and" halogensubstit'uted compounds of which there may be mentioned p-methyl-styrene,l 'A o-methyl-styrene, p-.chlorQ-styrene', o-chloro-sty-f rene, and the dinuclear-substituted dimethyl and dichloro-styrenes. The said styreneand styrene compounds may be pdlymefrisel in admixture with other polymerisable e'thenoid compounds,

suchasacrylic and methacrylic acid derivatives,

tonate and the like. If desired, Asmall amounts of a plasticiser, filler or dyestuif may-be mixed with the monomeric compounds provided that theyare not soluble in the inert liquid medium in which the 'mixture ormon'omer and polymer. is

-, in the course of the subsequent polymerisation prepared by partially polymerising the monomer to the desired extent. The partial polymerisation may be carried out either as a batch or continuous process, .and may be effected by the action of heat or a polymerisatlon catalyst or .3 by exposure to actinic light or by any combination thereof. We prefer, however, to eilect the partial polymerisation by heating the monomer in the presence of a catalyst, such as benzoyl peroxide or m-toluyl peroxide, at a temperature iJ of from 50 to 130 C. for a period of 2 to 10 hours, according to the concentration and nature of the catalyst employed and according to themolecular weight of the polymer which is desired. These conditions are maintained until .5

, through atower or system of towers or through preferably between 50% .and 80% of the mono-A mer has been converted to the polymer. The preferred overall rate of polymerisation during the initial partial polymerisation stage should not be less than 4% per hour, and rates of '6% '3 0 to 15% per'hour are particularly suitable. The

rates of polymerisation are a function of the temperature and the nature and concentration of the catalyst, which in turn, .determine the degree of polymerisation (P). of the polymer produced. The preferred value of P lies above 300, and those versed in the art can arrive readily at a combination'of temperature and catalyst concentration, which will give the desired prod- 3 uct at the desired rate. When a temperature towards the 'upper limit of the above-'quoted range is used in the initial partial polymerisation stage, it is advisable to use superatmospheric pressures in the final polymerisation stage in those cases where the heated inert liquid medium comprises water as the monomer contained in the partially-polymerised portions may otherwise form an azeot'ropic'mixture with water boiling, at normal pressure, below that --tempera- 4o ture, causing loss of monomer as well as surfaceN defects on the beads of the iinal product.

The mixture of-'polymer and monomer is introduced into the" heatedinert liquid medium` in the form of discrete portions which"` may Ybe produced in any convenient manner, for example,v by mechanical means such as bysimplyoutting, at a controlled rate, an extruded stream of the viscous liquid mixture into pieces whoselength is approximately equal to the diameter 'of the 50 stream. The pieces, which shortly after cutting may not have assumed a spherical shape, will treatment form themselves into globules and spherical shapes of great uniformity. From the point of view of satisfactory output from each beading device, we prefer to form beads of not less than l mm. diameter, and preferably of 1.5 to 8 mm. diameter. The temperature of the liquid medium may be the same as that of the pre-polymerisation, (i. e. within the .range of 50-130 0.), but it may also'be' lower or higher according to the rate of polymerisation which is desired during the iinal stage of completion of the polymerisation. A lower temperature may be used in this nal stage where the temperature used in the initial stage is such that there is a danger of vapourisation of the monomer or where, as already mentioned, there is the pos. sibility of an azeotropic mixture being formed l0 with water and in this way the use of superatmospheric pressures may be avoided.

For the purpose of carrying this invention into effect, it is immaterial what means are used to sub-divide the partially polymerised product into u 4 beads. 'various mechanical devices have been tried and found useful, some of which are shown in the attached diagrammatic drawings.

Other means of carrying out the sub-division of the partially polymerised product will be apparent to those acquaintedV with polymerisation reactions and with the consistency and other physical properties oi the products undergoing polymerisation.

The nal stage of polymerisation is effected by keeping the individual portions of partially polymerised product suspended in the heated liquid mediumveither by gentle agitation or by flowing the liquid medium in co-current or countercurrent with the suspended product,

coils at a rate commensurate with the time required for the completion of polymerisation. The preferred time for the completion of polymerisation is between 1 hour and 8 hours at the temperatures previously mentioned.

The heated inert liquid medium in which the polymerisation reaction is to be substantially completed may be. for example, water. glycol, glycerol or mixtures kof these.

The density of the liquid medium can be modiiied in such a way that the individual portions undergoing completion of polymerisation, either rise or fall at a rate which will result in a ltime 0 of immersion necessary for the completion of polymerisation. This can be done by adding, to the liquid medium, suitable water-soluble compounds, such as calcium chloride, sodium silicate, sorbitol and sugar. The time spent by the individual portions in passing through the heated liquid mediuml may be increased if desired, by increasing the viscosity of the medium by the addition of soluble colloidal substances or thickeners such as starch, alginates, methyl cellulose carboxylate, methyl cellulose. cellulose hydroxy-ethyl ether, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide and polyvinyl methyl ether.

'I'he liquid medium, whatever its composition, should preferably have a viscosity of not less than 10 centipoises at the temperature' at which the completion of polymerisation is carried out. The specific gravity of the liquid medium can be arranged to be either'greater or less than the specific gravity of the polymerised material according to whether it is desired that the individual portions should rise or fall in the liquid medium. Alternatively, the liquid medium and vvthe individual portions may be of approximately the same specific gravity, the individual portions then being carried through the system by the circulation of the liquid.

The substantially fully polymerised beads or globules are separated from the liquid medium by any of the conventional methods, such as screening. sedimentation or centrlfuging andare then washed and dried. Where the liquid mediascesa? centage figures quoted are calculated on a weight by volume basis unless otherwise stated.

Example 1.-A mixture of.9,000.parts by weight oi.' pure monomeric styrene and 36 parts by weight of 'benzoyl peroxide were heated in a stainless steel vessel to 80i0.5` C. and maintained at this temperature lor l hours. A mixture of approximately 68% polymeric styrene and 32% monomeric styrene -was obtained which was cooled to room temperature. This highly viscous mixture was then fed to a cutting device by applying pressure to the polymerisation vessel. The cutter was attached to the bottom of a jacketed tube containing a liquid suspension medium through which the pieces cut off were allowed to rise. The suspension medium in this column was an aqueous solution oi' 20% sucrose and' 4% sodium algina-te which was kept at 90i1 C. The passage of the cut oi! pieces through the column was adjusted in such a way that they required approximately 3 hours to reach the top of the column. In the course of this time the-individual pieces assume a spherical form of substantially completely polymerised styrene. The beads were removed from the top of the column and freed from adherent liquid by centriiuging, the separated liquid being returned to the column. The beads were then washed with warm waterfollowed by a final wash with distilled or demineralised water, and were subsequently dried in a current of warm dust-tree air at a temperature of 60'I0 C. The product which is in the form of uniform spheres of 6 to 6.5 mm. diameter has a molecular weight corresponding to an average chain length oi' 1,000 styrene units. v l

When these spheres were charged into an. injection moulding machine, they showed an easy and uniform flow through the hopper gate. Furthermore, the piston of the injection moulding machine remains clean and free from polymer owing to the absence of fine polymer dust. The same experiment was repeated, adding to the initial mixture of 9,000 parts of styrene and 36 parts of benzoyl peroxide. l part of a blue dyestuil. Prepolymerisation, bead cutting and polymerisation to completion was carried out as above, the solid polystyrene beads being uniformly dyed.

Example 2,-Monomeric styrene, containing 0.33% by weight of m-toluyl peroxide, was pumped through a jacketed stainless steel tube of 1 inch internal diameter at a rate corresponding to a time of residence of seven hours and the temperature in the tube was maintained at v80" C. by circulating hot oil through the jacket so that a partially polymerised mixture consisting oi' approximately 70% polymer and 30% monomer was obtained. This mixture was fed from the stainless steel coil to a cuttingV device, and cut into fragments of 0.2 g. weight, which were allowed to fall into the top of a column tllled with an aqueous solution of 0.5% of polyvinyl alcohol kept at 90i0.5 C. The density of this 'mixture of partially polymerised product and monomer is higher than that of the polyvinyl alcohol solution and the fragments sink slowly through the column. During the passage through the column, the fragments assumed a spherical form and became completely polymerised. The rate of fall was controlled by the viscosity of the suspension liquid as well as by circulating it through the column in countercurrent to the falling beads. By these means. the time of passage was adjusted so as to ensure m-toluyl peroxide and'0.1% liquid paramn, the

partial polmerisation proceeds t0 approximately 80% requiring subsequently 21/2 hours for the completion of the polymerisation in the aqueous polyvinyl alcohol solution. By speeding up the operation of the cutting device. beads of approximately 4 mm.` diameter were obtained. The washed and dried beads were extremely suitable for feeding into an injection moulding machine.

Example 3.-Monomeric styrene, containing 0.33% by weight of m-toluyl peroxide, was partially polymerised in the manner given in Example 2, resulting in a viscous mixture containing approximately 70% polymer and 30% monomer. This mixture was cooled down to room temperature as it left the polymerising tube, and was fed into a masticator where 0.2% oi' ethylene glycol cli-methacrylate was incorporated, in the absence of air or gas in order to avoid the formation of bubbles in the mixture. This composition was then fed to the cutting device and cut into fragmentsl of approximately 0.5 g. weight which were discharged immediately into a suspension medium consisting of an aqueous solution containing 20% of invert sugar, and 2% of polyvinyl alcohol in a column at the bottom oi.' which the cutter was situated. The temperature of the suspension medium was kept at i0.5 C. the rate of rise of the beads being adjusted to give a time of passage through the column oi' two hours by circulating the suspension medium in countercurrent to the rising beads. At the end of this period the beads still contained a small percentage of monomer. The polymerisation was brought to completion by heating the beads at C. under 20 lbs. per square inch pressure using the same suspension medium. This step was carried out in a closed vessel fitted with a .slowspeed stirrer. After one hour, polymerisation was completed, and the beads were washed and dried by the method described in Example 1.

E'ample 4.-A mixture of 2.0 parts by weight of m-toluyl peroxide and 1085 parts by weight of p-chlorostyrene was polymerised to a highly viscous mixture containing approximately 60% oi polymer by heating to '75 C.,for 6 hours. The mixture was cut into pieces of 0.5 g. Weight in the manner given in Example 1 Vand the fragments fed into the bottom of a. column filled with a 2% aqueous solution of polyvinyl' alcohol maintained at a temperature of 75 C. The beads had .a density higher than that of the aqueous solution, and were carried up the column by circulating the aqueous solution at such a rate that the time of passage was between 21/2 and3 hours, at the end of which period they were polymerized completely. The beads were washed and dried as described in Example 1. The beads had a diameter of approximately 9.2 mm. and a molecular weight corresponding to an average chain length oi approximately 1100 p-chloro-styrene units.

Example 5.-A mixture o1' 50 volumes of methyl merised mixture was cooled vto '1525 C. and cut into uniform fragments which were allowed to I.

float up a column filled with a viscous aqueous solution of 2% polyvinyl alcohol and 5% glucose maintained at 75 C. The time of residence in the column was 3 hours, at the end of which period the spheres were completely polymerised. 'I'hey were then removed, washed and dried in the manner described in Example 1. v

It will be evident from the preceding statements, including those appearing in the examples, that the rate of polymerisation in accordance with applicants process is in the range of about 2.5 to 60%-per hour.

In the accompanying diagrammatic drawings illustrating various cutting devices for use in the process of this invention,

Figure 1 is a side sectional elevation of one embodiment of a cutting device,

Figure 2 is a side sectional elevation of a second embodiment of a cutting device,

Figure 3 is an end view on the line III-III of Figure 2 and Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of one embodiment of apparatus, embodying a cutting device, for use in carrying out the process of the invention.

In the device shown in Figure 1, a hollow cylinder I is provided with joints 2 and 3 into which pipes 4 and 5 are screwed, which supply the liquidv suspension medium and the partially polymerised mixture respectively. The cylinder I is attached by means of a tube 6 to a tower 1, which is full of the liquid suspension medium, suitable means (not shown) being provided for heating the liquid and maintaining its circulation through the system. In the interior of the cylinder I a piston 8 is caused to reciprocate by means not shown and in its movement to open and close the portI I leading from the pipe 5, supplying the partially polmerised mixture, to the interior of the cylinder I. The pipe 4 conveying liquid suspension medium is also connected to the interior of the cylinder by a port I I, which is situated on the side of the port IIJ remote from the tower 1, containing the hot liquid. In order to provide free passage for the liquid suspension medium from the pipe 4 to the tower 1, the piston is provided with grooves or channels 9. It will be seen that as the piston moves to and fro in thecylinder, it alternately opens and closes the port I 0 and the timing of the motion is arranged so that the port is open for suilcient time to allow a globule of the desired size of partially polymerised mixture to issue before being cut off by the next movement of the piston. In the apparatus shown the specific gravity of the suspension medium is arranged so that the globules rise in the tower. The viscosity and temperature of the liquid and the height of the tower are arranged so that by the time the globules reach the top of the tower at least`95% polymerisation has been eilected. The beads so obtained are removed from the top Vof the tower in any convenient way.

mounted on a shaft I8 and kept pressed against the face 20 of the cylinder by means of a spring 2l, is rotated as shown, its shape being such that it only covers the oriiice of one of the passages I4 and I5 at a time. It will be seen that as the knife I8 rotates, it cuts oil.' the partially poly- `merised mixture extruding from the orices of I4 -and I5 alternately. The speed of rotation of the knife and the rate of supply of the mixture are arranged so that globules of the desired size are cut off by the knife. In this case, also, suitable means for circulating the liquid suspension medium may be provided.

The arrangement shown in Figure 4 shows vessels 22 and4 23 which supply monomer and catalyst respectively to a mixing vessel 24 provided with a stirring device 25 and cooling means (not shown) for example, an internal water coil. A pump 26 delivers the monomer and catalyst mixture to a tube polymerisation unit 21, comprising, for example, a stainless steel tube of 1 inch diameter in which partial polymerisation occurs. the tube being Jacketed as indicated by the reference 28 which jacket is provided with -heating means (not shown). A pump 29 whose delivery rate is made approximately equal to that of. the pump 26 delivers the partially-polymerised product to the cutting device 30 which delivers the cut pieces to the foot of the jacketed column 3l, which is provided with pipe lines, valves and pump generally indicated at 32 to enable the liquid in the column to be circulated at a controlled rate in either direction at will. In the arrangement shown, the beads rise in the column 3l and float oil. at the top to a screening device 33 from which liquid is led to the liquid collecting tank 34 and the polymerised beads to a, centrifuge 35 from which they are transferred to a washing tank 3B and a tray drier 31. i

The cutting devices and the polymerisation apparatus also form part of the invention and it will be appreciated that various modifications may be made in the specic details of the cutting devices and apparatus shown without departing from the scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1 A process for the production of polymer in bead form which comprises forming and separating individual discrete substantially uniformly sized beads from a partially polymerised viscous liquid mixture selected from the group consisting of styrene and nuclear-alkyland nuclearhalogen-substituted styrenes containing at least 40% by weight of the polymer, introducing such beads into a heated inert liquid medium, having a viscosity of not less than 10 centipoises at the polymerisation temperature, and with which inert liquid medium the beads are substantially immiscible, substantially completely polymerising the mixture in the form of such uniformly sized beads while the beads are suspended in the liquid, the rate of polymerisation being in the range 2.5% to 60% per hour, and recovering such polymerised beads. t

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said heated inert liquid medium is contained in a substantially vertical reaction system, and the discrete substantially uniformly sized beads are maintained in suspension in said heated inert liquid medium by flowing said medium through the reaction system in the direction opposite to the direction said beads flow in said medium, at

a rate commensurate with the time required for the completion of polymerisation.

3. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein 9 said partial and complete polymerisation is efi'ected by the action of a polymerisation catalyst at a temperature of from 50 to 130 C.

4. A process as set forth in claim 3, wherein partial polymerisation is eiected under conditions such that the rate of polymerisation is in a range of 8 to 15% per hour.

5. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said viscous liquid mixture contains from 50 to 80% by weight of said polymeric material.

6. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said polymeric material in said viscous liquid which the size of the beads is approximately 1.5

to 8 mm. in diameter.

9. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein said viscous liquid mixture is continuously introduced into said medium in discrete portions of substantially uniform size.

10. A process as set forth in claim 9, wherein said discrete portions are formed by cutting an extruded stream of said viscous liquid mixture into pieces whose length is approximately equal to the diameter of said stream.

11. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the discrete portions are maintained in suspension in said heated liquid medium by adjusting the density thereof to a. value such that said discrete portions move through the still liquid at a rate which results in a time of immersion necessary for substantially complete polymerisation.

HENRY MALCOLM HUTCHINSON. JOHANN JOSEF PETER STAUDINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,256,160 Britton Sept. 16, 1941 2,294,226 DAlelio Aug. 25, 1942 2,326,326 Breedis Aug. 10, 1943 

1. A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF POLYMER IN BEAD FORM WHICH COMPRISES FORMING AND SEPARATING INDIVIDUAL DISCRETE SUBSTNAITLLY UNIFORMLY SIZED BEADS FROM A PARTIALLY POLYMERISED VISCOUS LIQUID MIXTURE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF STYRENE AND NUCLEAR-ALKYL- AND NUCLEARHALOGEN-SUBSTITUTED STYRENES CONTAINING AT LEAST 40% BY WEIGHT OF THE POLYMER, INTRODUCING SUCH BEADS INTO A HEATED INERT LIQUID MEDIUM, HAVING A VISCOSITY OF NOT LESS THAN 10 CENTIPOISES AT THE POLYMERISATION TEMPERATURE, AND WITH WICH INERT LIQUID MEDIUM THE BEADS ARE SUBSTANTIALLY IMMISCIBLE, SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY POLYMERISING THE MIXTURE IN THE FORM OF SUCH UNIFORMLY SIZED THE MIXTURE IN THE BEADS ARE SUSPENDED IN THE LIQUID, THE RATE OF POLYMERISATION BEING IN THE RANGE 2.5% TO 60% PER HOUR, AND RECOVERING SUCH POLYMERISED BEADS. 